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Giorgio Petrosyan - superior entity or flesh and blood?

~ A legend in the making

Perfection - 1 : the quality or state of being perfect: as a: freedom from fault or defect: FLAWLESSNESS b. MATURITY c. the quality or state of being saintly
2 a: an exemplification of supreme excellence b :an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence
3 : the act or process of perfecting.

2009 has been just that for Giorgio Petrosyan. Perfection.

While pushed in his encounter with Andy Souwer more than anyone had pushed him since his fight with Buakaw, it still wasn't even that close. When I watched that fight, I knew, I think we all knew, what the future was going to bring us. Anyone who doubted this was just an irrational critic, a disbeliever of something that was shocking beautiful.

To say Giorgio Petrosyan is to K-1 what Picasso was to modernist art wouldn't be an over-exaggeration. He's that good.



Andy Souwer isn't a fighter that gets beaten often, let alone put down a peg when it comes to ability. Even in these losses, logical circumstances could always be argued to why he lost. Underestimation when it came to Kyshenko, accumulation of damage when it came to Buakaw, too inexperienced when it came to Kraus.

None of those excuses apply to that night in Milan. Andy was beaten, fair and square. Not only beaten - outclassed - made to look like an amateur against a fighter 4 years his junior.

The fight could be considered rather slow, uneventful, with Andy coming forward and Giorgio on his bicycle, picking his blows while Souwer hit air. 3 rounds and it was enough for a Petrosyan win on my scorecards, an extension round later, Souwer saved himself from a knockdown but lost the fight.

Soon after this, FEG came knocking with an invitation in hand, and enter K-1 MAX as Petrosyan's next foray into the big time.

~ The MAX era



At the Final 16, Marcus Oberg replacement and Contender Asia season 1 veteran, Dzhabar Askerov, awaited the young Italian. Dzhabar's big overhand never played a part in this match, as another opponent of Giorgio's lacked the speed or accuracy to land one on his chin. After being made to look sub-par for 6 minutes, the third round began with much of the same, then a Petrosyan trademark knee to the body hit it's mark, and Dzhabar (and the rest of us) had had enough.



The first ever champion of K-1 MAX, Albert Kraus, was set to be Giorgio's next opponent at the drawing for the Final 8. Kraus, known for his boxing prowess, was thought by some to have the ability to take out Petrosyan. But the rest of us knew how it would go down, and it certainly went down as we saw it in our heads. Kraus hitting gloves, getting outworked and overwhelmed by the unbelievable speed unveiled by Petrosyan that night.



~ Yuya Yamamoto - the unlikely opponent



Well, if someone told me back in March that Yuya Yamamoto would be squaring off against Petrosyan in the Final 4, I would have said they should probably watch some more fights (or get their head checked). Lone behold, this is what we get. With a bit of luck, injuries and favourable judging, we can get almost anything in this sport.

While Yuya never earned his qualification, an injury to J-MAX champion Takayuki Kohiruimaki put him out of comisson for his rematch with Korea MAX champion, Chi Bin Lim, at the Final 16. A sustained injury put Hinata, another option, out of the running as well. So that left Yuya, a fighter who competed in several J-MAX tournaments, finding limited success in his attempts until reaching the 2009 finals with Kohi, losing a decision.

A controversial decision win (one I have been vocal about) over Chi Bin Lim put him in the Final 8, and another close decision win (another controversial one in some minds) over all-action Gym Alkmaar product, Gago Drago, put Yuya into the Final 4 to be Japan's lone representative.

Too bad the bracket doesn't favor a Japanese win here.

Does Yuya have a realistic shot at Giorgio Petrosyan? The answer: no. A chance, sure. When Kakuda is staring at Masato's wife in the stands, a ring light could fall onto Giorgio's head, knocking him unconscious and Kakuda declaring a win for Yuya. Yuya could cut Giorgio by some miracle, or an injury could befall the Italian. But from a prediction standpoint, Yuya will be lucky to make it out of the ring without a concussion.

Not to break it down to some sort of hybird K-1 math here, but look at it like this. Drago has some of the sloppiest defense at 70KG, and Yuya basically hit glove for the 2 rounds he won on Drago. He barely hit him clean. Now, if you find it hard to get clean shots on Gago Drago, I wonder how hard you will find it to get clean shots on the fighter with the best defense at the weight? And how about when he is the most precise puncher in the tournament, and the fastest as well?

Get my drift?

~ Potential viruses to The Doctor's antidote

Now I know I've been harping on Giorgio's talent a lot here, and I do think he is as close to perfect as one can be in this sport. Superior entity, maybe, but these fighters I think would have something to say about it:

1. Artur Kyshenko



Yes, I know you may say there is a horrible amount of bias in this one, but Kyshenko is my number one choice for potential threats to Petrosyan's reign of dominance. Sure, you could say Souwer just beat Kyshenko, and Souwer never really came that close to taking out Giorgio. May I remind these people that styles make fights.

Kyshenko is the most physically imposing fighter at the weight. An enormous presence in the ring, combining raw strength and reach with the hardest punches at 70KG.

"Mr. K-1 MAX", "King of Body Blow", whatever you call him, to say Artur Kyshenko doesn't have a realistic shot at putting Giorgio Petrosyan in the dirt if he clipped him, you need to watch more fights.

2. Yodsaenklai Fairtex



No doubt if Petrosyan and Yod ever looked across from each other in the ring it would be a superfight of epic proportions. Yod has probably the most feared rear-leg round kick on the plant next to Cro Cop. An imposing physical presence in the ring, with a great boxing ability to compliment his MuayThai skillset. Many opponents who come to fight Yod in the ring, are already beaten before they face "The Boxing Computer".

Petrosyan vs. Yod would be a superb fight, one I don't even want to call on paper.

3. Buakaw Por. Pramuk



A great test, and a realistic upcoming challenge for Petrosyan, as Buakaw awaits if he can make it 2-1 against Souwer on the 26th. Buakaw, a master of MuayThai technique, a ring general and extremely strong. Petrosyan is very much a Thai-style fighter, and who better to try and beat him at his own game than Buakaw?

A rematch we will most definitely see in the future, if not on the 26th, hopefully this time with a true winner, and no controversial decisions to moan about afterwards.

4. Yoshihiro Sato



"Wait, you mean the Yoshihiro Sato that got beat by Gago Drago, and almost got beaten by Joeri Mes this year?"



Yes, but I'm almost referring to the guy who beat Murat Direkci (who gave Drago one of the worst beatings of his life), became the only man to knock out Buakaw, and was robbed in a decision against Masato last year. This year, that same guy was robbed by Gago Drago, and went to war with Mes at the Final 8, edging a decision. Yeah, THAT Yoshihiro Sato.

While I'm by no means saying Sato would beat Petrosyan, but has a style that could cause some problems. Sato has a great ability to take punishment, has good straight punches with his length, great knees and painful leg kicks, and a relentless (albeit, redundant) style. I say why not? Give Sato his chance, we may be surprised.

5. Andy Souwer



In K-1, aggression can win you fights, especially at lower weight classes. While Andy was picked apart in February, he certainly pushed the fight. Pushing the fight was enough to give Albert Kraus 2 drawn rounds against Petrosyan at the Final 8 on a judge's scorecard. Souwer could do the same.

This is a very likely match at the Final 4, and I'm sure everyone would love to see Souwer win the championship and take on Masato at Dynamite!!. Not saying this will be the case, but stranger things have happened.

~ Final thoughts

This year's MAX Final 4 is pretty much layed out for Giorgio Petrosyan. While I think Souwer is getting the W over Buakaw this year, if Buakaw wins, I think it'll be a close contest between him and Giorgio, while Souwer, not so much.

Giorgio Petrosyan will be crowned the 2009 K-1 World MAX champion, and will take on Masato on New Year's eve.

Can he beat Masato? That's another question for another day.

Past and present collide - Andy Souwer vs. Buakaw Por. Pramuk III

3 years after their last encounter, MuayThai superstar Buakaw Por. Pramuk, and Holland's best at 70KG square off for the third time. Score one for Souwer in 2005, and one for Buakaw in 2006. What makes this event even sweeter?


The third fight is almost guaranteed to be the best one yet.

~ 2005



Andy Souwer made his debut in K-1 MAX way back in 2003, Masato's first year as MAX champion. Souwer, a shootboxing world champion at that point, got the invite to take on defending champion, Albert Kraus, in the tournament's quarterfinals, only to have his night cut short after the opening three, where he took a brutal beating at the hands of Kraus and having the doctor wave it off in his corner

Souwer then returned in 2005, defeating veteran Marfio Canoletti in the opening 16, and to get then matched up with Japanese hometown favourite, Takayuki Kohiruimaki. Souwer comfortably dispatched Kohi, then reserve fighter (Masato had an injury which forced him to pull out) Yasuhiro Kazuya, to make it to the K-1 WORLD MAX 2005 finals.

On the other side of the bracket, reigning 2004 champion, Buakaw Por. Pramuk, was impressing once again, dispatching always game Mongolian Jadamba Narantungalag, then setting things straight with Albert Kraus, winning a lopsided decision to right the wrongs of a weak 2004 decision against the Thai phenom.

What unfolded as shootboxing met MuayThai was a pretty uneventful final, one which can pretty much be summed up with Buakaw clinching and throwing Andy around like a rag doll for 15 minutes, while Souwer tried to close the gap with hand combinations as Buakaw made him pay with round kicks. Controversy is always brought up with this match, there wasn't much in it, with two judges for Souwer and one for Buakaw. I thought Buakaw, the judges disagreed.

~ 2006



When we discuss performances in MAX tournaments, people will say they'll remember Masato's 2008 tournament win, Buakaw's first time in 2004. 2006 still remains the most devastating anyone has ever looked in MAX, at that moment on June 30th, 2006, Buakaw looked unstoppable.

While a strict MuayThai fighter at heart, Buakaw's boxing had always lacked up until this win. He took out Yoshihiro Sato, a fighter known for his ability to take a beating, with a beautiful hook off a kick catch. He made Gago Drago look like he never deserved to be on the plane to fly to Japan and fight Buakaw.

On the other side, Souwer had a rough opening fight with South African boxing whiz Virgil Kalakoda, getting knocked down in the first, but making an impressive comeback in the second and third to finish it late as Virgil crumbled in Kakuda's arms as Andy's hand was raised, a fight that still remains a favourite of mine. The semis never promised a walk in the park either, as 2003 champion Masato awaited. One of MAX's greatest fights was made, as Souwer and Masato went at it for 9 minutes, only for Andy to snatch the win in the dying seconds as he clipped Masato to get a knockdown, one still debated present day.

After absorbing an almost inhuman amount of punishment through about 17 minutes of fighting, Souwer faced a Buakaw that never looked so focused. The result was almost a forgone conclusion just by looking at Andy's face as he met Buakaw for the referee's instructions. Three knockdowns in 3 minutes later, Souwer lay collapsed on the canvas and Buakaw raised as victor.

~ The space inbetween



Things have changed since 2006. The landscape of K-1 isn't the same as it once was.

Souwer has went 1-1 with newcomer "Mr. K-1 MAX" Artur Kyshenko, and for one of the first times in a long time, was just simply outclassed by Giorgio Petrosyan in Milan this year. While these are setbacks, Andy has steadily improved, and can almost be described as a "perfect" kickboxer, combining great boxing, painful kicks and a virgin defense into one. Plus, a win over MuayThai's pound-for-pound king, Yodsaenklai Fairtex, should help one's stock too, right?

As for Buakaw, recent performances have led people to believe that ever since 2006 something was lost in Buakaw. 2007's tournament gave him an easy first win over Nieky Holzken, and was made to look slow against Masato in their quarterfinal fight, where Masato's hands reigned supreme. 2008 never faired much better, as Buakaw proved he is better than Kraus (don't deny it) again, but was for the first time ever, was knocked out by old rival Yoshihiro Sato in a third bout between the two. 2009, Buakaw fans feared would be the same, as DREAM's Andre Dida made a foray into K-1 and almost knocked Buakaw's head into the front row, luckily enough class shone through as Buakaw took the decision after an extension. A win over JWP in Jamaica and a win over Holzken a second time in one of the most technically astute performances I've ever witnessed have Buakaw fans hoping for the crown again.

~ October 26th, 2009



So, now that that's out of the way, who's going to win?

Well, if someone said either fighter you can't argue with them. Buakaw and Souwer are both legends at the weight, and are two warriors I have the utmost respect for. They both have two of busiest schedules in combat sports today, and will fight anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Buakaw, I remember when I first began to watch K-1 never really appealed to me. His style was too one-dimensional I felt. But as I watched more and more I saw what everyone else saw - an animal, a fighter trained in one of the deadliest fighting arts in the world present day since a child, with impeccable defense and brain for fighting. It was almost as Buakaw could just feel what his opponent would do before they even did it. Some could call him boring, I would call him a master. I've heard people say his rematch with Nieky Holzken was one of the worst fights this year, but I think that fight could be framed if it were a picture, as we watched a new school get a lesson in old school with it's most basic technique - a push kick.

Souwer, say what you will about him, is one of the most (arguably, THE most) exciting fighter at the weight. Easily one of the best boxers at the weight in how it translates to kickboxing. Every time I see Souwer rattle off a 1-2, left hook to the body, I feel the need to just shadow box the combination until I somehow feel I've gotten better than I had been 5 minutes prior. A kickboxer that can make your legs looked like BBQ'd flesh after 6 minutes, and just last year put one of the best knock outs in K-1's history on Mike Zambidis with a back-leg round kick to the head in an extension round.

The most anticipated fight on the card for my money. I hate to draw a line between the two greats, but right now in 2009, it's Andy's for the taking. While Buakaw still has the ability to beat 95% of the competition, he has declined slowly over the past 3 years, as Souwer had gotten better. Andy's boxing will pay off dividends in this match, and holds the key to his win. It won't come easy, and not after 9 minutes. There won't be much in it, but when the scorecards are in they'll read Andy Souwer.

Video of the Week ~ Floyd Mayweather Jr. training highlight

Amazing highlight video of arguably the world's pound-for-pound best boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. All props to YuriorkisGamboap4p on MMALinker.

Thanksgiving and the Brazilians to be thankful for

So I'm here racking together things to talk about, as I wanted to make an article about Bibiano Fernades' win at DREAM.11, and taking out my most hated fighter in MMA today, Joe Warren, in a mere 36 seconds. But, I thought people would already be sick of me talking about Warren getting smashed, and in keeping with Thanksgiving, here's the Brazilians we owe a thank you to of the past 3 months.

Sorry about this one, Smith.

#1 ~ Bibiano Fernandes



Yes, the man who saved Japanese MMA from becoming what has been staining North American MMA most notably in the past year or so: LAY AND PRAY.

Joe Warren somehow managed not to get knocked on his ass (he sure tried to though) in the 15 minutes he fought one of my all-time favourite fighters, Norifumi "KID" Yamamoto and eeked out one of the worst decisions so far this year via takedowns, minimal ground-and-pound, weak upper cuts from a sloppy clinch, and his dreaded "ass knees".

Thankfully, there is some sanctity left in this sport; the MMA gods have me and everyone else who appreciates the entertaining aspect of combat sports left satisfied after last Tuesday's result. Bibiano made Joe submit in the opening minute, fulfilling my prediction and making me want to kiss the ground he walks on.

Bibiano Fernandes, thank you.



#2 ~ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira



No, not because he met Sylvester Stallone (in all his tattooed glory), but because he gave Randy "Handy" Couture one of the worst beatings of his life.

All respect to Randy, the guy is a warrior and a nice person, but Rodrigo needed this win, as did his fans, more than Randy needed it. I can imagine if Randy did beat Rodrigo, we'd hear all about how PRIDE sucked, overrated fighters etc. for the billionth time. All these years we knew Rodrigo was by far the more talented fighter, and I just had a horrible feeling that Randy would win, with Rodrigo's performance against Mir still burned into my mind. I even went as far as to say I didn't care for the fight, and that it "would have been good 5 years ago."

Well I admit I was wrong about that for sure. UFC 102's main event in Oregon was one of the best main events I've seen in a while, an exciting fight that left all fans of the old Rodrigo satisfied.

I guess I'll have to give Rodrigo a thanks too, so that I don't have to listen to UFC Nazis call down a legend.



#3 ~ Vitor Belfort



*Insert Frank Trigg quote here*

I knew Vitor had the skills, but for some reason I never saw him beating Rich.

Sorry Vitor.

Vitor put an absolute ass-whooping on Rich, and I for one am very happy. Vitor vs. Anderson is a fight I actually want to see in MMA right now (can't say that for many fights these days), and Dan Henderson gets bumped out of the title picture for Vitor. We don't get to see Dan act like a fool, stand and trade or attempt his ol' lay and pray and get submitted yet again (YES!). Vitor has a great shot at taking out Anderson, I'm firmly behind him to take the belt.



#4 ~ Cosmo Alexandre



Evolution 17 was an odd event. Cosmo, if he did beat Dzhabar, he'd lose to JWP. Common thought.

Wrong.

Cosmo DID beat Dzhabar, beat on an injured JWP, and took a razor close decision over Thai takedown king, Tum Madsua, to win the Evolution tournament. After such a destructive beatdown at the hands of Yod, nobody believed he could do it.

While it took some luck and an injured favourite in JWP in the semis, Cosmo badly needed this one, and I'll throw out a congrats to a K-1Fans community brother!

Cosmo, thanks for.. being Cosmo.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Eye for eye, teeth for teeth" - An analysis of Bonjasky vs. Manhoef III

~ Was Melvin REALLY robbed?



Now, let's say you asked me this question on September 29th. My answer would have been "Yes, the fight should have definitely went to an extension round, 29-29 on my scorecard".

I've got to say I am partial to Melvin. I remember watching his fights back in Cage Rage and just thinking the guy was an absolute beast, albeit a flawed one. Melvin remains one of my favourite fighters, even when he disappoints, he's hard not to pull for. Saying this, anyone who knows me will know I am not the biggest Remy Bonjasky fan on the planet, seeing as I do root for Badr and Melvin. I've got to say when Remy commits and goes for it, is a fun fighter to watch, his fight with Saki and Melvin in 2008 were both awesome showings. However, in the past I've called Remy an "actor" and maybe a bit of a "crybaby" when it came to his antics in the ring (referring to the stomp in last year's final, and that facepalm moment with Leko in 2006).

Now, looking at this, one can come to the conclusion that I would firmly say Melvin earned a draw, while others have said Remy took it. Upon rewatching the fight earlier this morning, this is what I've come to:

Both opinions are valid.

My scorecard after the event was 29-29 draw, but this morning I had it 30-29 for Remy.

ROUND 1 ~ 10-10
ROUND 2 ~ 10-10
ROUND 3 ~ 10-9 (Bonjasky)

The first round the first time I watched the fight I thought was good enough for a 10-9 for Melvin, but I think something may have swayed my decision:

The crowd

The crowd was much behind Melvin from the get-go, and cheered for things that don't score points, such as takedowns from leg catches, a MuayThai technique illegal in the realm of K-1 kickboxing. What is surprising is that Melvin wasn't warned for this, something he did at least 5 or 6 times during the 9 minutes of battle. It doesn't score, but it certainly woke up the crowd (from a card of fights that equated to about 2 bottles of Nyquil). Also, in the first round Melvin threw a huge overhand that looked like it caught Remy, it's hard to tell but it looked like more of the weight of the shot caught Remy off-balance, not that he was visibly in trouble.

Still, if someone said "10-9 Melvin for sure" - I can't say a flat-out no to that score. It was a close round, closer than I originally thought, Remy landed some nice middle kicks and stayed calm. I've got to go the way of a 10-10, not enough for Melvin to win it.

The post-fight reaction too left people thinking the judges robbed another opponent of Remy, but the decision in my opinion was fair. The second was a draw no doubt, and Remy had Melvin in trouble plain as day in the third with a knee. Remy got into the zone in the third, and secured the win. Sure it wasn't as convincing as their encounter in 2008, Remy didn't look on fire, but Melvin didn't go with the same gameplan in Korea as he did in Amsterdam. He stayed patient, went to a decision, and as we know that isn't Melvin's bread and butter, and going to a decision with Remy is always a risky ask.

~ Mike Kogan is a dumbass



Now, I'm usually one who rambles on with cursing and swearing on message boards when I get mad at something, but I'm trying to keep these posts more on the PG-side, and I mean this in the nicest was possible - Mike Kogan is a retard.

Now, I've spoke of my dislike before for Kogan, especially after the commentary at the MAX Final 8, most notably in the Mes/Sato fight. I'm watching Remy vs. Melvin III, and I hear Kogan say, "It shouldn't have been a unanimous decision, that means Remy won EVERY round, which he didn't".



I'm here wondering, how on God's green earth did Mike Kogan ever become the president of FEG USA? Like seriously? The guy clearly knows nothing about the sport, slanders the judges at every opportunity, and doesn't even understand the scoring system! He thinks a unanimous decision = a 30-27 scorecard! And we are forced to listen to this clown?

I can talk my fair share of smack about Mark "The Hammer" Castagnini, but at least Hammer knows the sport. Kogan knows absolutely nothing about kickboxing, MuayThai, or any kickfighting in general. Maybe he should put on his gi and go commentate ADCC or something, so I don't have to have my IQ lowered by listening to his verbal diahrrea.



~ "[Remy Bonjasky] God of my ass"





Seeing as how I got my Kogan hate-rant out of the way, let's talk about Remy "God" Bonjasky. Now Melvin's hilarious comments aside, is Remy the real "God" of the K-1 heavyweight division, or just the most fortunate fighter on the circuit? Time will tell, and this year's bracket will reveal a lot about Remy.



A match with Errol Zimmerman awaits, which I'm excited about, and in my opinion a third match with Semmy Schilt in the semis. Can Remy make good on Schilt once and for all, or will his style fall again to Schilt's jab, reach and relentless pressure. A lot of time history repeats itself, and I think it will again in December, but pulling for Remy here.

~ Manhoef - destined to fill the shoes of "Big Daddy"?

Over a cup of coffee on the 27th, Mike Passenier came out and was honest with Schiavello, saying Melvin can never win the K-1 WGP. A logical statement from someone who made Melvin who he is today. Schiavello put Melvin into "gatekeeper" status, an "upsetter", a role cherished by one-time MMA and K-1 fighter, Gary Goodridge. Is Melvin deemed to be a gatekeeper from here on out? A fight with Zelg Galesic awaits in the six-sided cage at DREAM.12, Spong in 2010, and surely a reserve fight at the K-1 WGP Final in December. Time will tell, but "No Mercy" is going down swinging.

Tyrone Spong, GOAT, and "Mini-Tyson"

~ 2009 year of Petrosyan, not Spong



2009 was supposed to be Tyrone Spong's year. He capped off an undefeated (7-0) 2008 with winning the It's Showtime 95KG World Title over K-1 WGP in Lodz 2009 champion Zabit Samedov by a very convincing unanimous decision in Eindhoven.

It's October 10th right now, Spong has a record this year of 2-1 (1 NC). As for the NC, everyone who seen the fight in Jamaica with Carnage knows what really went down that night, with Tyrone layed out and probably the worst refereeing we'll see in the next few years when it comes to MuayThai.

Well, what happened?

Was it that Tyrone can't handle the higher level of competition amoung heavyweights, even those around his own size, such as Carnage and Saki? Was it his personal life away from the ring? Or was it just two bad days, two cases of the ol' Chuck Liddell "I got caught"?

I guess we really don't have any answers to these questions right now, and will probably never know the whole story. But as for can Spong hold his own, I'm a firm advocater of yes..

To a degree.

The fight against Gokhan was probably the best K-1 heavyweight fight so far this year for my money. A very competitive fight, between two fighters I love to watch, that went to an extension round with one of them tasting canvas - Spong.

It's the fight business, people get knocked down, and need to get up. Did Spong get back up? To an extent. While the fight against Carnage was a great fight, Tyrone was comfortably winning after the first two rounds, getting two KDs on Carnage (with one of them being pretty questionable about whether or not Nathan wanted to continue). But he payed the price again. Carnage changed to southpaw, got a punch through that floored Spong. The aftermath bullshit is academic in my opinion, NC or not, Spong lost that fight.

While dealing with these disappointing setbacks, Spong then loses someone he considered a "little brother" in Gianluca after he was shot in a car with Tyrone in Amsterdam after a BBQ.

Heavy things to deal with for a 24-year old.

~ Hoost helps



It's all about how you come back right? I would consider hiring the greatest heavyweight kickboxer of all-time, 4-time K-1 WGP champion Ernesto Hoost as your trainer a good start.

While it is still unknown where Lucien Carbin factors into this, I highly doubt he is out of the picture. Carbin trained Spong for a very long time, have a deep relationship and Hoost is probably more of an adviser. I like this idea in that Hoost is an experienced heavyweight, while untested overall as a trainer. People can point to Slowinski and how it's debatable if Hoost improved his skills, I think Tyrone will be THE test for how Hoost will do as a coach.

Hoost can help Tyrone on the things he couldn't get away with at super middleweight, such as lax defense, and more focus on movement.

~ Is "Mr. Perfect" enough?

Maybe. We can look at fights with Samedov, where Spong and Samedov both came in at 95KG and looked the same size. Compare that to the beatdown Hari just layed on Samedov, and the sheer size difference between the two. Factor this with Hari not being that big of a K-1 heavyweight.



Looking at this, what about Rutz pushing for a Spong/Hari fight on an It's Showtime card? Imagine Spong fighting somebody like Schilt, who just manhandled a fair sized human in Daniel Ghita. Look at Gokhan Saki, dwarfed by a mid-sized heavyweight in Bonjasky. Can Spong handle the biggest of K-1? At this time, definitely not, he needs to put on more weight, and if he can do it right remains to be seen.

~ "Mini-Tyson", showdown on It's Showtime



Just announced a few days ago that Spong will defend the 95KG It's Showtime strap against one of the heaviest hitters on the circuit, Melvin Manhoef, in May 2010. While Melvin just had a controversial loss to Remy Bonjasky, he faired much better than I thought he would, and was coming off a title win in Budapest for the 85KG It's Showtime belt and a quick KO of rising Russian MuayThai (and Hoost trained) star Ramazan Ramanzanov.

I can't wait for this fight, but I think it'll be a good fight for Tyrone if he can keep his guard up and stick to his game. If Melvin doesn't connect, his guard will be wide open, and a suspect chin waiting for a trademark left hook counter from Spong.

Lights out, third round KO for Spong, early prediction.

RIP GIANLUCA FLAMINGO